Are there any good integrated, autosyncing sleep/running distance and route tracking solutions out there?
November 9, 2011 6:54 AM Subscribe
Looking for recent developments in exercise/sleep data capture ecosystems. Inspired slightly by this question, I am thinking abut what I am looking for in an exercise/lifestyle data capture solution, and none of the systems seems exactly to cover all the bases I am looking for. Have people successfully created a hybrid system that puts all the data in one place?
Essentially, what I want to do is track sleep data, distance covered and run routes, and centralise that data in a single place, or at least use the same device to record it all.
The Garmin Forerunner series is obviously ideal for running - it tracks distance and route with inbuilt GPS, syncs wirelessly to a PC and provides output in a form that is easy to upload to Runkeeper. But it doesn't track sleep.
The FitBit tracks sleep and acts as a pedometer/altimeter, but it doesn't have GPS, so it won't track routes, only distance. Which isn't the end of the world, but does feel like a missing bit of data which would need to be added manually (i.e. would never be added). Of course, I could track the run using a GPS-enabled smartphone - I have a cheap, old one I could pretty much repurpose just for running - but that's another level of complexity.
Then there's the new Jawbone Up, which seems to track sleep and distance - and GPS, with the iPhone app. But I don't hugely want to go running with an iPhone tucked into my pants pocket.
So, sleep tracking, distance tracking, route mapping, automagical upload to an online or offline storage and analytical system - has anyone found a system that covers all of these without a platform-specific app?
Essentially, what I want to do is track sleep data, distance covered and run routes, and centralise that data in a single place, or at least use the same device to record it all.
The Garmin Forerunner series is obviously ideal for running - it tracks distance and route with inbuilt GPS, syncs wirelessly to a PC and provides output in a form that is easy to upload to Runkeeper. But it doesn't track sleep.
The FitBit tracks sleep and acts as a pedometer/altimeter, but it doesn't have GPS, so it won't track routes, only distance. Which isn't the end of the world, but does feel like a missing bit of data which would need to be added manually (i.e. would never be added). Of course, I could track the run using a GPS-enabled smartphone - I have a cheap, old one I could pretty much repurpose just for running - but that's another level of complexity.
Then there's the new Jawbone Up, which seems to track sleep and distance - and GPS, with the iPhone app. But I don't hugely want to go running with an iPhone tucked into my pants pocket.
So, sleep tracking, distance tracking, route mapping, automagical upload to an online or offline storage and analytical system - has anyone found a system that covers all of these without a platform-specific app?
Best answer: I can't answer your other questions but regarding the feasibility of carrying your iphone with you, I run most days with my iphone in an arm band and it's actually not that bad. Certainly nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be, though I won't say I forget it's there. I've never worn it during speed work, though, which I imagine would be the biggest challenge
posted by villanelles at dawn at 7:53 AM on November 9, 2011
posted by villanelles at dawn at 7:53 AM on November 9, 2011
Best answer: I've gotten pretty interested in exercise/personal metrics also, and have looked into a bunch of different devices ... and I don't think that there is One Device To Rule Them All in the way that you appear to be looking. I think you are going to need at least two.
And honestly, I'm not sure that you would really want one device to do everything that you're asking for ... in particular, having something with a GPS in it mandates it be a certain size -- the Forerunner 405 is about the smallest thing I've seen with that feature -- and I don't know about you but I'd really prefer not to wear a really chunky watch to bed every night. Something like the Fitbit is a lot more compact. They tell you to wear it in a wristband at night, but I've found it works just as well clipped to whatever clothes you sleep in.
Anyway, my recommendation (barring waiting for further miniaturization of GPS components, which will probably happen eventually) is to consider a Fitbit for constant use, which would get you some basic nutrition (overall calorie expenditure) and sleep data, and then a Garmin for use while exercising (for Runkeeper and tracking your performance). And I'd probably start out with the Fitbit, although I'm biased because that's what I got first, and then get the Garmin if you really want the addition of the positional data that it provides.
posted by Kadin2048 at 9:40 AM on November 9, 2011
And honestly, I'm not sure that you would really want one device to do everything that you're asking for ... in particular, having something with a GPS in it mandates it be a certain size -- the Forerunner 405 is about the smallest thing I've seen with that feature -- and I don't know about you but I'd really prefer not to wear a really chunky watch to bed every night. Something like the Fitbit is a lot more compact. They tell you to wear it in a wristband at night, but I've found it works just as well clipped to whatever clothes you sleep in.
Anyway, my recommendation (barring waiting for further miniaturization of GPS components, which will probably happen eventually) is to consider a Fitbit for constant use, which would get you some basic nutrition (overall calorie expenditure) and sleep data, and then a Garmin for use while exercising (for Runkeeper and tracking your performance). And I'd probably start out with the Fitbit, although I'm biased because that's what I got first, and then get the Garmin if you really want the addition of the positional data that it provides.
posted by Kadin2048 at 9:40 AM on November 9, 2011
runkeeper seems to integrate with the health graph api which integrates with a couple of sleep tracking applications. This seems to be what you're looking for.
posted by jefftang at 2:16 PM on November 9, 2011
posted by jefftang at 2:16 PM on November 9, 2011
Response by poster: And honestly, I'm not sure that you would really want one device to do everything that you're asking for ... in particular, having something with a GPS in it mandates it be a certain size -- the Forerunner 405 is about the smallest thing I've seen with that feature -- and I don't know about you but I'd really prefer not to wear a really chunky watch to bed every night.
That's a super good point, kadin2048 - I guess the two devices, then, would probably be either Jawbone Up + iPhone (to hijack its GPS) or Fitbit+Garmin, or Garmin+Zeo. But a Fitbit might be a good place to start...
posted by running order squabble fest at 3:17 PM on November 9, 2011
That's a super good point, kadin2048 - I guess the two devices, then, would probably be either Jawbone Up + iPhone (to hijack its GPS) or Fitbit+Garmin, or Garmin+Zeo. But a Fitbit might be a good place to start...
posted by running order squabble fest at 3:17 PM on November 9, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
I wear it just under the waistband of my shorts and route my headphone cord underneath my shirt, so it's not flapping in the wind. A normal running t-shirt is long enough that it pretty much covers up the pouch (In case you're worried about how it looks.), it doesn't bounce, and I barely notice it's there, while running.
If you find an iPhone app that fits the bill, this might be worth looking into.
posted by zen_spider at 7:51 AM on November 9, 2011